Moist Delectable Red Velvet

This Recipe is amazing, I have tried at least Four different red velvet recipes because I was looking for a specific taste and texture, there’s a lot more to a red velvet than just being red and I’m glad to say I have finally found the winner! I tweaked the recipe slightly to my liking and I loved it and so did everyone else who had some

This is what you’ll need

-2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, plus a little extra for dusting

-2  & 1/2 Cups flour

-1 Teaspoon salt

-1 & 1/2 Cups Sugar

-1 cup Canola oil

-2 large eggs

-2 tablespoons Crimson food colouring

-1 teaspoon pure Vanilla Extract or 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

-1 cup buttermilk

-1/2 cup warm strong coffee, not coffee powder, coffee you drink!

-1 & 1/2 teaspoons Baking soda

-2 teaspoons white Vinegar

Icing

-100g unsalted butter at room temp

-195g pure icing sugar

-1 teaspoon vanilla essence

-250g plain cream cheese

-White Food Colouring (optional)

How you do it;

-preheat oven to 180′

-Butter two 9-inch cake rounds, dust with cocoa, tapping out excess

-Wisk together flour, salt and cocoa in a medium bowl, set aside

-Mix sugar and oil on medium speed, add eggs one at a time, Mix well after each addition, Mix in food colouring and Vanilla

-It should be a beautiful rich dark pink colour

-Add flour Mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk. beginning and ending with flour. Mixing well after each addition

-Stir together baking powder and vinegar in a small bowl

-Add Baking soda mixture to batter and mix on medium for 10 seconds

-Stir in the warm coffee until just combined

-Pour Batter into prepared pans

-Have a spoon full of batter for good luck

– And then Bake until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean approx. 18-25 mins

-Let cool Completely

Now The Icing

-Beat Cream Cheese, butter, icing sugar and vanilla in bowl until smooth

-Add as much white food colouring as needed, this just helps the icing to get that famous snow white icing a red velvet has. These are pricey though, so if your going for taste and not looks rather skip it

-Ice Cake once cake it completely cooled

If your planning on making this cake be prepared to be blown away it really is delectable!

Yum Yum Yum

A Few Tips

-Leaving your cake to stand for a few days enhances the flavour, but wrapped it tightly in cling wrapped so it doesn’t dry out

-dice your butter before adding to icing sugar mix

-If you cant get your icing to go smooth, try placing your bowl over another bowl with some warm water, and continue beating until butter melts and mixture becomes smooth, allow to cool slightly again before icing cake, else the icing will just run

Creamy Tomatoe and Basil Pilaf

I created this recipe completely by chance when I had no idea what I felt like making, I started boiling rice, hoping something would spark in my mind and then it did, I used what I had in the fridge and it was a delightful winner. This gorgeous recipe is great for a side to a juicy steak or as a light lunch

You’ll need

>5 cups cooked rice

> 1 clove garlic

> 1 large spring onion

> Half a tin of chopped peeled Tomatoes

> 1 tablespoon sugar

> Handful of torn Fresh basil pieces

> 1 steam of dill

> 2 Tablespoons balsamic Vinegar

> 1 cup cream

> 2 teaspoons dried chilli

> 1 teaspoon Lemon pepper

> 2 Tablespoons Apricot Jam

> Salt and pepper

How You Do it

> In a small sauce pan heat a small glug of olive oil over medium heat, fry Garlic and spring onions together for 5 mins

> Add canned tomatoes, basil, sugar and balsamic Vinegar and allow to simmer on a lower heat for ten minutes

>  Now add Cream, Chilli,, lemon pepper and chopped dill

> Add salt and pepper to taste

> Bring to boil and then put down to simmer on low heat for 10-15minutes

> Now add apricot jam and stir in, taste if it needs more pepper and salt

> Mix sauce in with Warm rice and serve warm

If your having this as a lunch and need a little protein add some crumbed pieces of feta in with it.

Mmmmmmm

Yummy

Feta Stuffed Home Made Beef Patties

If your a fan of burgers, you know there is nothing better than a juicy home made burger!!  Moist, tasty and fresh, its the perfect Friday night fun dinner to get creative with!!

I got this recipe from Harry Sideropolis at the good food and wine show and this is my take on it…

This recipe makes 20 Patties depending on size

Ok so you will need;

• +- 1.5 kg Lean (cause we want to be healthy) Mince
• 1 cup fresh dill
• 1 cup fresh Basil
• 1 cup fresh parsley. I didn’t have fresh Parsley so I used dried, it worked but try to use fresh its worth it in the end
• 2 eggs
• 3 Table spoons bread crumbs
• Half a tin of canned chopped and peeled tomatoes
• 3 Blocks Feta
• 1 table spoon sugar
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

And now, how you do it;

• Get a nice big bowl to work in, empty your mince into the bowl and add roughly chopped herbs. don’t be scared to add in the stalks, they have Most of the flavour. You need to get down and dirty with this recipe, get your hands in there and mix like you’ve never mixed before
• Now add your 2 eggs, and get messy again!

• After This add Tomatoes, mix, then add bread crumbs mix
• Now Add your sugar, salt and pepper. if you like your salt don’t be shy, else your patties may end up Bland. Make sure everything is nicely mixed together
• If you Don’t Mind tasting raw meat, have a little taste to see if its missing something
• Now the stuffing Begins, 1.take a hand full off mince 2.roll it into a ball and then squish flat 3.after that squish more flat in the centre to make a little ‘well’ 4.In that little well push in the crumbed feta. Not too much just a few crumbs 5.then fold over the patty, to close the feta in the middle 6.Roll once more and then squish down again to make a patty. the patty should be about 2 cm thick

• Now your Patties are ready to fry
• Heat a small about of olive oil on a medium heat
• place each patty in the pan careful and gently, give it a good 3 to 6 minutes on each side depending on how you like your meat
• Once its done, Get creative with those burgers, add cheese, pineapple, pepper sauce or whatever tickles your fancy
• I simply put some sweet chill sauce, normal chilli sauce, tomatoes and cheese with my patty on a Panini and it was great!

 

A Few Tips

1. Keep your mince in the fridge before you start this recipe, this recipe works best with cold mince. This  helps for your patty not to fall apart before its even reached the pan
2. Once your patties are in the pan DONT fiddle with them, leave them until its time to flip them! You only need to flip them once!
3. This recipe can also be used to make meatballs
4. You can also add other things in the middle like mozzarella, Sun dried Tomatoes, Corn, whatever tickles your fancy
5. Last but not least……….Enjoy every bit!